Scorching contests in round four table tennis action

Mount Gambier Table Tennis Club managed to avoid this week’s extreme heat conditions, allowing for some scorching battles to be played out on the tables.

Travis Sweet’s Banana Splits team took on Robin Pellen’s The 70’s Show in the first Division 1 matchup of the week, Sweet at his usual dominant best as he swept aside Sanith Ghetia and then Pellen comfortably. The ‘Splits had other strong contributors in Peter McKenzie and Alastair Earl who also posted clean sheets on the night, while Chris Turner was the standout player on an otherwise bleak night for The 70’s Show, who fell to a 14-4 defeat. Sirinat Sweet’s Goodies played out a thriller against Kevin Patzel’s NoName team in the other Division 1 contest. Sweet, Ward Freeman and Mark Bachmann all managed to come away with clean singles sheets for the Goodies, while Alex McGregor and Kylie Boston did likewise for team NoName. Freeman needed to overcome Patzel in the final rubber of the match to force a tie and countback to decide the overall winner. Patzel looked to be in total control early, comfortably coasting to a 2-game lead. The experience of Freeman could not be denied however, the Goodies veteran picking himself off the canvas and wearing his opponent down to take the third. The Goodies player continued the momentum to claim the fourth stanza, sending the battle to a gripping decider. After the combatants traded blows early, Patzel showed obvious signs of fatigue and frustration, making uncharacteristic unforced errors as his opponent remained ice-cold at the other end of the table. At 7 points apiece, Patzel sent a regulation forehand return long over the end of the table, growling at himself in anguish and anger. The Noname player was unable to regain his composure, gifting Ward the remainder of the points for an 11-7 win. With the overall result now locked at 9 rubbers apiece, a countback of individual games saw the Goodies record a slender 39-33 victory.

Division 2 provided a mixed bag of results this week, Pickled Shrimp falling to Dad’s Army in a landslide while The Young Ones and Silent Assassins needed a countback to decide the winner of their match. Early wins to Pickled Shrimps players Joel Schafer and Mark Devaney had their team holding firm against Allan Withers’ more fancied Dad’s Army outfit. The favourites soon flexed their muscles however, not allowing their opponents to register another win for the night, to come away with an emphatic 10-2 triumph. Withers and Deakin Lofthouse starred for the victors, both posting clean sheets on the night. The Young Ones got off to a flyer in their contest with the Silent Assassins thanks to strong wins to Mike Hosszu and Dapo Olutayo, before the Assassins made a strong comeback, substitutes Lorraine Halleday and Lenny Van Der Linde giving them the slight ascendancy. Little separated the two teams for the remainder of the night, another 6-all draw needing a countback to decide the overall winners. In the end it was Silent Assassins with the win by 22 games to The Young Ones’ 19.

Mount Gambier Table Tennis Club is always welcoming of new players of all ages, experience, and capability. Practice is held at 7pm on Monday nights, and competition is at 7pm on Wednesday nights at the Mount Gambier Showgrounds Hall. To register your interest, please contact the club at mtgtabletennis@ gmail.com or find the club’s Facebook page, or just come along on a Monday night and speak to a friendly welcoming committee member.

2-rubber winners:

• Division 1: Sirinat Sweet, Ward Freeman, Marck Bachmann (Goodies); Alex McGregor, Kylie Boston (NoName), Chris Turner (The 70’s Show), Alastair Earl, Peter McKenzie, Travis Sweet (Banana Splits).

• Division 2: Allan Withers, Deakin Lofthouse (Dad’s Army); Mike Hosszu, Dapo Olutayo (The Young Ones). TABLE TENNIS ACTION: Joel Schafer